WHEN EGYPT ERUPTED with violent street protests, Air Charter Service employees were all hands to the phones, chartering private planes for insurance and travel companies to help people get home. Far from just providing luxury services to the wealthy and famous, this Surrey-based firm can make a positive difference to the world, say staff (a 74% positive score). The company charters planes for governments, charities and relief organisations, and also helped out during the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and in Haiti after the earthquake last year at cost price. Group marketing manager James Leach, son of founder Chris Leach, ended up in Haiti after last year's earthquake. "I worked on the ground with the search and rescue teams, co-ordinating aircraft because the airports aren't designed for such large scale use," he says. "There's nothing worse than an aid flight going wrong, with lives on the line. It shows what we can do when we pull together." The firm also charters planes for pop stars, football teams and Middle Eastern royalty. "One Middle Eastern princess had a big executive jet just for her, and a cargo plane for her shopping," recalls Leach. The company gets its best results for questions on Personal Growth (83%). Staff also say that pay is fair relative to the industry (71%) and their responsibilities (70%). The business scores highly for Giving Something Back (71%). It matches donations for nominated charities and for people's personal causes, up to £300, and staff feel the firm supports its local community (77%, a top 10 score). Employees, who had a pay rise of 4% last year, are not too worried by the effects of the economy (78%). People are excited about where the company is going (92%). aircharter.co.uk
